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I am constrained to do this response to clear the air and equally appeal to those who have made the project of dividing the Igala people their stock in trade, and measures of achieving relevance and possible financial gain to desist hence forth; as the Igala nation can no longer afford any divisive tendencies at this crucial time of her nations history. A lot of people conversant with the administration and management of ICDA activities in Lokoja and environs are quite aware that, Igalas and in extension ICDA activities in Lokoja have been operating seamlessly without any form of bitterness or rancour. We therefore see any individual or group of individuals making effort to generate one, as enemies of the Igala nation or possibly has no root tied to Igala blood line.
In the current global world and even in the Igala cultural society, any one has the right of organization of any event, call it carnival, festival, masquerading activities etc, what then can be wrong is when you tie your activities on illegitimate identity.
The current leadership of Igala Cultural and Development Association Lokoja want to make it clear to the general public, that the purported carnival was not organized nor supervised by the body. The identity of those masquerading themselves as ICDA Lokoja chapter is still very, very obscure to us, and we sincerely believe that they are the works of mischief makers who are consistently on the prowl of doing business with a divided Igala interest and projection, and this is very sad to us.
It is in public purview that the Igala Cultural and Development Association in Lokoja have properly defined structure and constituency by which her activities, programmes and projection are carried out, governed and or articulated. The chapter also have five to six units and their leadership operational within its administrative horizon, which are Felele, Otokiti, Zariagi, Gadumo, Elaite and Ganaja unit. It is the Ganaja unit which has not been functioning effectively over time because of leadership gap, but her activities has been superintended by the Amoma Igala In Ajaokuta Association headed by Mr. Abuka. The IGALA Cultural and Development Association Lokoja have more than 70 IGALA based Community Development Association and Social Cultural Organizations in Lokoja affiliated to her, who are paying annual subscription, and are duely involve in her activities and leadership selection. The bigger question therefore is ” who are these group and who are their constituency?” Nobody said you should not do your intended programme but why doing it under an illegitimate numeclature? We were advised to get the police to stop them, but we felt the IGALA people can not afford further media or security embarrassment because of this grandstanding activities of this marauders.
This response has become necessary because of calls from major IGALA Stakeholders in Lokoja and environs calling for clarifications. No wonder all their effort to get the Onu IGALA Lokoja and Omachi Attah IGALA involved in their nefarious activities failed. Little wonder the resulted in getting one or two excommunicated self acclaimed Onu ( clear document to justify this position from the palace) to perform Royal function for them. I had to personally explain to the Chairman IGALA Elders Consultative Forum Lokoja, Barr. Ojotule when he called and expressed surprise over the activities of this illegal outfit.
However, my appeal to all those supporting the evil trend in Lokoja to thread with caution as history may not be kind to them. No matter under what disguise the seems or project to be operating from.
The short fall of the entire story is to clear the air on the organizers of the purported carnival, and we are in active dialogue with the leadership of Amoma IGALA in Ajaokuta not to allow some self centred people use their base to further divisive activities in Lokoja domain.
Mr. Inah Husseni Isaac
Secretary ICDA Lokoja.
